Electric clock



(No Model.)

0. GULLBERG. ELECTRIC CLOCK.

No. 591,217. Patented Oct. 5,1897.

Fig.1.

INVENTOR:

61mg MZ WITNESSES I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL GULLBERG, OF JERSEY CITY, NETV JERSEY.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters LIPatent No. 591 ,217, dated October 5, 1897. Application filed February 25, 1897. Serial No. 624,906. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL GULLBERG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Clocks; and

I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists of improved means of periodically closing the circuit in electric clocks and an improved train-actuating apparatus, as hereinafter described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the appara tus of an electric clock provided with my improved circuit-closing mechanism and trainactuating apparatus. Fig. 2 is a detail of the said circuit-closing apparatus in side elevation and on a larger scale for greater clearness. Fig. 3 is a detail of said circuit-closing mechanism in plan view and also enlarged.

The wire d connects with a bar f, supported on the clock-frame g in any approved way and insulated therefrom, which bar reaches a suitable distance toward the pendulum-rod h in the plane in which the pendulum swings, and near its extremity carries the vertical switch 1' in a fork of the end and on a pivot j, fixed in the jaws of the fork, the switch being slotted at It, so that it can rise and fall on the pivot, as well as vibrate, the plane of vibration being in or parallel with the plane in which the pendulum swings.

The lower end of the switch has a notch Z, whereof the outermost lip relatively to the pendulum is longer than the other, and on an arm on of the pendulum, reaching. under the lower end of the switch, there is a stud n,

which when the pendulum is at rest occupies a position intermediate of the switch and the pendulum, but much nearer the switch, and its height is such that when lodged in the notch of the switch and swinging past the vertical line of the switch will lift it to a slight extent.

The upper end of the switch carries a crosspin 0, parallel with the pivot j and projecting each way, with which two contact-springs p and q are provided. The spring 19 is connected to bar f and, with the pivotj, affords two contacts with the switch for greater certainty of action. The other contact-spring q is connected to a bar 8, supported on the frame and having the wire 6 connected to it, said bar being suitably insulated. This bar 8 also carries an adjusting-screw t, extending downward between springs 19 and q and having a collar u, on the upper side of which the springs bear, said springs being set to bear on said collar with some tension, and the collar is insulated from the springs or the screw. When the pendulum swings to the full extent of its range, stud n passes beyond the lower end of the switch, which then swings on its pivot j without contact of the cross-pin o with the springs, but when for lack of energy the pendulum fails to carry the stud n past the switch the notched end of the switch lodges on the spur at when the spur reaches the extremity of its outward movement, and the switch is lifted as the spur swings backward and contact is made with springs 13 and q for causing an impulse to the pendulum. It will be seen that the switch has rubbing contact both with the pivot j and the springs, which insures more certainty of action. The pressure of the cross-pin o of the switch on the springs q and p may be graduated by the screw t. The spur n will be insulated on the arm m. It is obvious that the spring 9 may be dispensed with, as the circuit is closed through bar f, the switch, and spring q, but it is useful for greater certainty of good contact.

For actuating the gear-train the toothed wheelo is applied to the seconds-hand arbor w, the teeth of which have one side tangential to a circle of somewhat less diameter than the full diameter of thewheel and the other side radial or thereabout, and a couple of gravitating pawls w are pivoted above the wheel suitably to act on opposite sides through a pallet 3 on the lower extremity of each, said pawls each having a stud-pin .2, against which the pendulum acts to swing the pawls outward respectively, so that as the pallet of one pawl returns upon the wheel it strikes the tangent side of a tooth near the point at the moment the pallet of the other pawl is thrust away from the radial side of a tooth and the wheel is impelled by the pallet in contact with the tangent side of the tooth, the action being repeated on the opposite sides of the wheel alternately.

The wheel has thirty teeth and gets two impulses per second by the pendulum beating half-seconds.

The wheel may have teeth both sides of which are tangent to a smaller circle, but the form of teeth represented are preferred.

1 claim 1. The combination with the pendulum and its switch-actuating spur, of the swinging and automatically vertically sliding switch-point having a notch in its lower end for lodgment of said spur therein, and the contaet-spring located in relation to the upper end of the switch-p oint for contact therewith when lifted by the spur, said spring and theswitch-point being in connection with the circuit-wires respectively substantially as described.

2. The combination with the pendulum and its switch-actuating spur, of the swinging and automatically vertically sliding switch-point having a notch in its lower end for lodgment of the spur therein, the contact-spring located in the relation to the upper end of the switchpoint for contact therewith when lifted by the spur, and the adjusting-screw for the spring adapted to limit the movement of the spring toward the end of the switch-point, and to permit unlimited movement of the spring by the switch-point, said spring and the switchpoint being in connection with the circuitwires respectively substantially as described.

3. The combination with the pendulum and its switelractuating spur, of the switclrpoint having a notch in its lower end for lodgment of said spur therein, the pivot for said switchpoint located on a fixed support, the switchpoint being automatically vertically movable on said pivot, and the contact-spring located in the relation to the upper end of the switchpoint for contact therewith when lifted by the spur, said pivot and spring being in connection with the circuit-wires respectively substantiall y as described.

at. The combination with the pendulum and its switch-actuating spur, of the switch-point pendent from a supporting-pivot intermediate of its ends and at its lower end subject to the actuating-spur, and the contact-spring located above the upper end of the switch point and in the relation whereby the switchpoint has rubbing contact with the spring, said spring and switch-point being in connection with the circuit-wires respectively substantially as described.

5. The combination with the pendulum and its switch-actuating spur, of the switch-point and contact-spring in the relation whereby the switch-point has rubbing contact with the spring, said switch-point also having rubbing contact with its pivot, and said pivot con nected with one of the circuit-wires, and the said contact-spring being in connection with the other circuit-wire substantially as described.

6. The combination with the pendulum and its switch-actuating spur, of the swinging and vertically-sliding switch-point havin a notch in its lower end for lodginent of said spur therein, the contact-spring located in the relation to the upper end of the switch-point for contact therewith when lifted by the s pnr, and the auxiliary spring for double contact of the switch-point.

7. In a gravitatingntwl mechanism i'or actuating the clock-train the combination with the pendulum, of pendent gravitating pawls adapted to be retracted by the pendulum, a. ratchetavheel for actuating the train and having bevel or tangent teeth substantially as described, and pallets of the pawls so ar ranged that when a pawl returns upon the wheel it strikes the tangent side of a tooth near the point and the wheel is impelled by the pressure of the pallet moving along the said tangent side of the tooth, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I allix my sigmitnre in presence of two witnesses.

IARL GULLHEZW i.

\Vitnesses:

W. J. MoneAN, A. 1 'li-mvnn. 

